Trump's Israel ambassador? A guy who jokes about Jews in ovens

On Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a longtime Republican commentator, as the U.S. ambassador to Israel. 

“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”

But Huckabee’s nomination comes with a controversial past that raises eyebrows, especially given the region’s current conflict.

After all, this is the same Mike Huckabee who made reprehensible comments about Jews in 2015. After then-President Barack Obama signed a nuclear deal with Iran, Huckabee claimed that Obama was marching Israelis “to the door of the oven.”

Facing significant blowback, including from the Anti-Defamation League, Huckabee backtracked by alleging that the Jewish community loved his Holocaust reference. But naturally, conservative media—from Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham to far-right outlet Breitbart—rushed to his defense at the time.

Still, Huckabee’s history of insensitive remarks extends beyond that infamous statement.